All over the world, and for many different reasons, there are millions of people who rarely or never eat meat. These people are called vegetarians. To people who eat meat, being a vegetarian may seem like a very strange thing, diets for several different reasons.

First, vegetarians have an enormous health advantage. One of the major health problems in modern societies is not too much protein but too much fat, especially in the form of animal fats. Medical evidence suggests that animal fats, including butter, contribute to the development of cholesterol in the human body. High amount of cholesterol seem to be part of the cause of heart disease. Most vegetarians have low level of cholesterol. High amounts of animal fats also seem to lead to certain kinds of cancer, and vegetarians are typically less vulnerable to these cancers than people who eat a lot of meat. Overall, studies comparing the health of vegetarians and meat-eaters show that the meat-eaters are twice as likely to die of heart disease as vegetarians are.

Better health is one reason that people choose to become vegetarians. Another reason is religion. Some religions forbid the eating of meat. The largest of these is the Hindu religion, which has about 600 million believers in the world. Although not all Hindus are vegetarian, many are, and there are many believers of other religions such Buddhism and even some Christian religions that also do not eat meat.

Many vegetarians do not eat meat simply because they do not like the taste of it. They have no religious or philosophical reasons; they just do not like meat. Another important reason that vegetarians give for not eating meat is the health advantages that were given above. Lastly, there are many people who do not eat meat because they just do not like the idea of killing animals for food. They believe that life, all life, is valuable , and that we do not have to destroy life to feed ourselves when there are other good sources of food.

1.According to the passage, people choose to be vegetarians for the following reasons EXCEPT________.

A. they want to stay healthy

B. they are too kind to put the idea of killing animals

C. they live in areas where meat supply is not adequate

D. they should not eat meat due to their religious belief

2.Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2 ?

A. Vegetarians enjoy a more healthy life than the meat eaters.

B. Heart disease and cancer are caused by large amounts of protein.

C. There are twice as many meat-eaters as vegetarians who die of cancer.

D. There are less health problems in modern society due to advanced medical care.

3.What does “vulnerable” mean in Paragraph 2?

A. Having low level of cholesterol.

B. Having high level of cholesterol.

C. Having weak ability to resist diseases and harms.

D. Having strong ability to resist disease and harms.

4.It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. being a vegetarian may be a very strange thing

B. vegetarians eat meat on some special occasions

C. all vegetarians have reasons for their not eating meat

D. most vegetarians believe that life without meat is happy.

Roughly half of college students will have some degree of depression at some point during their time in school. Even more startling, 6.2 percent of college students surveyed in 2012 considered suicide and 1.3 percent attempted it, according to an American College Health Association study released this spring. If you’re feeling depressed on campus, you may find the following tips helpful.

Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins – chemicals that produce an overall positive feeling within the body, which fight depression naturally. Mental health experts claim that exercise is a solution to those feeling mild or moderate depression. However, for those severely depressed, simply doing sports is not enough.

Use school counseling services: Campuses don’t employ mental health experts simply to throw thousands of dollars down the drain. Their job is to help students, so experts recommend you use them. Most students, however, are hesitant to take a trip to their college’s counseling center, fearing being laughed at by peers. As a result, some schools like Texas Christian University, are testing students for mental health problems when they get sick and visit the campus health clinic.

Take advantage of technology: Staying in touch with family members and friends from childhood and high school has become easier than ever with the coming of Facebook and video chat services like Skype. While mental health experts insist that it’s important to make friends in your new environment and be involved in the college community, it’s also significant to keep in touch with the people you knew before college.

Go to sleep: Following a fairly regular sleep pattern can defend you against depression. In college, many students’ sleep patterns are irregular thanks to late-night studying and partying, which is harmful to their mental health. Research strongly suggests that sleep is the key to learning and memory formation.

1.According to the passage, physical activity __________ .

A. is regarded as the best way to fight depression

B. contributes to the release of endorphins

C. can’t help the seriously depressed students

D. improve people’s ability to learn and memorize

2.It can be inferred from the 3rd paragraph that __________ .

A. employing mental health experts on campus is a waste of money

B. students with mental health problems can’t get on well with others

C. going to college’s counseling center for help requires a lot of courage

D. sick students in Texas Christian University must take psychological tests

3.Taking advantage of technology is encouraged because it ____

A.enables students to get involved in college life

B.helps students stay in contact with others

C.offers students a way to make new friends

D.provides a way to avoid getting bored

4.which of the following can NOT help one reduce depression?

A.Taking exercise regularly every week

B.Chatting with old friends with Skype

C.Turning to mental health experts for advice

D.Holding parties deep into the night to relax

The Enigma(谜)of Beauty

The search for beauty spans centuries and continents.Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup.In 18th-century France,wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) of long,white hair to make themselves attractive.Today,people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.

There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power.Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money,get called on more often in class,and are regarded as friendlier.

But what exactly is beauty? It’s difficult to describe it clearly,and yet we know it when we see it.And our awareness of it may start at a very early age.In one set of studies,six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs.The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students.In the studies,the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.

The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers.In studies by psychologists,men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes,fuller lips,and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist.According to scientists,the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits―the full lips,clear skin,strong shoulders―equal health and genetic well-being.

Not everyone thinks the same way,however.“Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations—mostly cultural,” says C.Loring Brace,an anthropologist at the University of Michigan.What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another.Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin.But is this “perfect” body type for women worldwide? Scientists’ answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world.They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.

For better or worse,beauty plays a role in our lives.But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another.Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing,it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single,uniform standard.Beauty really is,as the saying goes,in the eye of the beholder.

1.People’s ideas about beauty _______.

A.have existed since ancient times

B.can be easily described

C.have little influence on a person’s success

D.are based upon strict criteria

2.In Paragraph 3,the babies in the study _______.

A.were rated for their appearance

B.were entered in a beauty contest

C.were shown photos of a group of college students

D.were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones

3.The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______.

A.qualities B.measurements C.judgments D.standards

4.We can learn from the passage that _______.

A.the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up

B.the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence

C.the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches

D.the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds

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